我熟悉的城市不認識我

（堪薩斯市）哈倫．張伯倫開始哭了。

他已經當面看過他的兒子，喬巴．張伯倫，幾百次了。在喬巴小時候，哈倫和喬巴天天玩傳接球，哈倫看著他上高中和大學。他看著喬巴成為內布拉斯加大學棒球校隊「內布拉斯加佬隊」的王牌投手，並且幫助該隊一路打到2005年的大學棒球世界大賽。

但哈倫從未如此看著喬巴--從現場看台上看著他在大聯盟比賽中投球。有著小兒麻痺症的哈倫，行動受限於輪椅上。

哈倫並不常旅行，他只在「大聯盟延長賽」電視節目中看他兒子為洋基隊投球。但當喬巴隨著洋基隊來到堪薩斯市，哈倫得從內布拉斯加的家中出發。

當喬巴在週五於作客皇家隊主場「考夫曼球場」比賽中的第七局上場時，哈倫開始激動。

「我永遠不會忘記今晚，」哈倫說，「2007年九月七日。真正到了這裡感覺真好。這真是上帝的恩賜。」

喬巴繼續他令人難以置信的大聯盟無失分紀錄，主投兩局無失分。他只被打出兩隻安打，在大聯盟依舊一分未失。在11次的出賽中，張伯倫投了14又三分之一局皆未失分。那天的這兩局，事實上對張伯倫來說還算是簡單了點。

「我們戰況緊繃，這是需要我的場合，」他說，「什麼事情發生都不重要。對我們來說這是場重要的比賽，不管對手是誰。」

在兒子上場六個小時之前，哈倫抵達考夫曼球場。哈倫和親朋好友一起完成了從內布拉斯加到堪薩斯市，總共三個小時的旅程。

他大約賽前四個小時到達考夫曼球場，並花時間給「運動插畫」照相工作人員、見過洋基總教練喬．托瑞，還和投手安迪．派提特的父親聊天。

喬巴一如以往，見到老爸相當開心。喬巴和皇家隊三壘手愛力克斯．高登是老朋友、大學時曾是「內布拉斯加佬」隊友，也都是隊上的傳奇人物。

在2005年，張伯倫投出十勝二負、防禦率2.81的成績；而高登贏得了象徵大學棒球年度最佳球員的「金釘鞋獎」。

沒有一個隊友知道張伯倫要了幾張票。他甚至無法估計：「我連算都沒算；我只是把我的名字和號碼填在一串名單旁。」高登則是遭到要票的電話和簡訊轟炸。

因為「內布拉斯加佬」足球隊本週末正在客場比賽，這次洋基和皇家的系列戰對許多內布拉斯加人而言是必看的。哈倫拿出週五晚上「內布拉斯加佬」隊球迷第一萬號入場券。

然而，沒有任何球迷比哈倫更開心。

喬巴笑著說：「我想如果你站在，大概，三十五英呎遠吧，你可能就看得到他的笑容。」

哈倫總是對喬巴有所助益。他教了喬巴所有投球的事。

哈倫說：「我對投球懂的和個頂針一樣多，而我所不知道的和史密森尼博物館一樣多。」

但哈倫的確給了他兒子一項建議：建議喬巴練好一顆霸氣十足的快速球。

「我說『如果你投曲球，我會馬上帶你走』，而他也一直聽話，」哈倫說，「當一個孩子在成長時，曲球不是他一定要投的球路。」

哈倫看著喬巴帶著他的天賦進了內布拉斯加大學，在兩個球季裡贏得16勝，然後他在2006年，一年級球員選秀中的第一輪補選中被挑走。

2006年八月15日，他的盲腸壞死，哈倫可能再也無法看他兒子投球了。

喬巴說：「當你54歲時盲腸毀了，還有許多事情可以做；當你21歲時盲腸毀了，你可能只是進出醫院幾次；但如果一個54歲患有小兒麻痺的人......」

哈倫的身體對鎮痛劑反應不佳。但他繼續奮鬥而不放棄。他要繼續活下去--並且繼續看他兒子打球。

「一年後，他終於出院回家，終於百分之百復元。」喬巴說。

哈倫看見了他兒子在小聯盟一飛沖天。首先，他在一A「坦帕洋基隊」的七場先發中投出了四勝零敗，防禦率2.03的成績。接下來，在二A「特倫頓轟雷隊」時，在40局的投球中投出了66個三振。最後，在三A「史克蘭頓-威基貝爾洋基隊」投了八局無失分，帶有18次三振及一次保送。

然後喬巴上了大聯盟。哈倫看到他兒子投了十場比賽，12又三分之一局無失分。

「我知道他總是辦得到，」哈倫說，「在內心中我覺得他總是辦得到。但是升得這麼快，總是令人驚喜的。他就這麼跳進去加入，創造歷史。我們剛剛創造了新的歷史。」

哈倫在電視上看到他兒子在洋基球場獲得令人難以置信的熱烈鼓掌，以及「喬巴！喬巴！」的反覆呼聲。他想親眼見到兒子打球，而機會在本週末到來。

當他抵達考夫曼球場時，總教練托瑞以及喬巴的隊友們向他打招呼。托瑞走向哈倫，哈倫伸出手。托瑞要哈倫叫他「喬」。

「每個球員過來並向我自我介紹，對我而言意義非凡，」哈倫說，「能看到（托瑞）真是天大的榮幸。」

哈倫享受了另一項令人難以置信的經驗，他兒子守住了七局時三比二的領先。喬巴持續地投出時速98到100英哩（相當於157.7到160.9公里）的速球，第七局無失分。

「我知道某人告訴過我他投過六次時速100英哩、一次時速101英哩（相當於162.5公里）的球，」哈倫說，「那是相當引人注意的。不管是喬巴、贊布蘭諾（芝加哥小熊隊投手）或是祖馬亞（底特律老虎隊投手）投出這種球速，都會使我大吃一驚。」

在第八局、一人出局時，張伯倫對上了他的前隊友，高登。幾天前，高登要他第一球投速球。張伯倫也真的做了。

那球時速高達100英哩。高登揮棒落空。

「第一球來了，我就出棒，」高登說。「對上一個有著如此天賦的人，你不能就這樣放掉不打。」

高登最後擊出一壘安打，但是最後該局結束時，張伯倫依舊未失分。在第九局，守護神李維拉關門後，張伯倫去見他的父親及其他家人，完成他父親永遠不會忘記的一晚。

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jspymd=20070908&content_id=2196063&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

09/08/2007 2:30 AM ET
Seeing Joba live a 'blessing' to father Unable to travel far, elder Chamberlain enjoys son's dominance

KANSAS CITY -- Harlan Chamberlain started crying.

He had watched his son, Joba, "hundreds of times" in person. He played catch with him every day when Joba was growing up, watched him in high school and junior college. He saw him become the ace at the University of Nebraska and help the Cornhuskers reach the 2005 College World Series.

But he had never seen him like this -- watching him pitch in a Major League game, live, from the stands.Harlan, who has polio, is confined to a wheelchair.

He doesn't travel often and has watched his son pitch for the Yankees only on Major League Baseball's Extra Innings television package. But when Joba and the Yankees came to Kansas City, Harlan had to make the trip from his Nebraska home.

And when Joba entered the seventh inning of Friday's game against the Royals at Kauffman Stadium, Harlan became emotional.

"I will never forget this night," Harlan said. "September 7, 2007. To actually be here was pretty neat. It was a real blessing."

Joba continued his incredible scoreless streak, tossing two shutout innings. He allowed just two singles and still hasn't allowed a run in the Major Leagues. Through 11 appearances, Chamberlain has tossed 14 1/3 scoreless innings. These two, though, were actually a little bit easier for Chamberlain.

"We had a tight game going on and it is a situation where I want to be in," he said. "Doesn't matter what is going on. It is a big game for us no matter who we are playing."

About six hours before his son appeared in the game, Harlan pulled into Kauffman Stadium. Along with family members and friends, Harlan made the three-hour trip from Nebraska to Kansas City.

He reached Kauffman about four hours before first pitch and spent time with a Sports Illustrated photo crew, met Yankees manager Joe Torre and talked with lefty Andy Pettitte's father.

Joba was certainly happy to see his father -- as well as most of the state. Joba and Royals third baseman Alex Gordon are longtime friends, teammates and Cornhuskers legends.

In 2005, Chamberlain went 10-2 with a 2.81 ERA and Gordon won the Golden Spikes Award as collegiate baseball's player of the year.

Neither player knew how many tickets he asked for. Chamberlain couldn't even estimate the number -- "I haven't even counted; I just put my name and number next to a list" -- and Gordon received a barrage of phone calls and text messages asking for tickets.

Because the Cornhuskers football team is traveling this weekend, this Yankees-Royals series is the must-see event for many Nebraskans. Harlan put the number of Cornhuskers fans in attendance on Friday night at 10,000.

However, no fan was likely happier than Harlan.

"I think that if you stand, like, 35 feet away, you can probably see his smile," Joba said with a smile and laugh.

Harlan has always helped Joba. He taught him all he could about pitching.

"What I know about pitching will fit in a thimble; what I don't know will fit in the Smithsonian," Harlan said.

But Harlan did teach his son one piece of advice -- advice that helped Joba hone a dominating fastball.

"'If you throw a curveball, I will take you right out,' and he never did," Harlan said. "A kid growing up, a curveball is not something that he needs to be throwing.

Harlan saw Joba take his talent to Nebraska, win 16 games in two seasons and be picked as a supplemental first-rounder in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft.

When -- on Aug. 15, 2006 -- his appendix failed, it appeared that Harlan may not be able to see his son pitch again.

"When your appendix blows up at 54 years of age, there is a lot of other stuff that happens," Joba said. "When a 21-year-old man's appendix blows up, you are in and out of the hospital, but when you are a 54-year-old man who has polio ..."

Harlan's body didn't react well to painkillers. But he kept fighting, didn't give up. He wanted to continue living -- and continue watching his son play.

"A year later, he is finally back to where he was, and he is finally 100 percent," Joba said.

Harlan could watch his son skyrocket through the Minors. First, there was the 4-0 record and 2.03 ERA in seven starts at Class A Tampa. Then, 66 strikeouts in 40 innings at Double-A Trenton. Finally, 18 strikeouts and one walk in eight shutout innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

And then the Majors. Harlan watched his son pitch 10 games and throw 12 1/3 shutout innings.

"I knew he would always make it," Harlan said. "I felt in [my heart] that he would always make it, but to move this fast, it is always surprising. He has jumped right in and become a part of it, and the rest is history. Now we just make new history."

Harlan saw on TV the incredible ovations and "Joba, Joba" chants his son received at Yankee Stadium. He wanted to see his son play in person, and this weekend offered an opportunity.

When he arrived at Kauffman Stadium, Harlan was greeted by Torre and his son's teammates. Torre approached Harlan, who extended his hand. Torre asked Harlan to call him "Joe."

"When each of the players came up and introduced themselves to me, it meant a great deal to me," Harlan said. "It was indeed an honor to meet [Torre]."

Harlan enjoyed another incredible experience when his son came in to protect a 3-2 seventh-inning lead. Joba threw 98-100 mph consistently and pitched a scoreless seventh.

"I understand somebody told me that he hit 100 six times and 101 once," Harlan said. "That is bringing [it] up. It amazes me, whether it is Joba, or [Carlos] Zambrano or [Joel] Zumaya."

In the eighth, Chamberlain faced his former teammate, Gordon, with one out. A few days ago, Gordon told him to throw him a first-pitch fastball. That is exactly what happened.

It was 100 mph. Gordon swung and missed.

"I got my first pitch to hit, and I was swinging," Gordon said. "You can't let those go by against a guy with this kind of talent."

Gordon eventually singled, but Chamberlain finished the inning with no damage. After Mariano Rivera closed out the ninth, Chamberlain met his dad and family, capping a night his father would never forget.

Conor Nicholl is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.